Polar Bears FTW: Conservation.

We are back again, to report a serious matter.

History

In the 1960s and 1970s, hunting was the major threat to polar bears. Pressure from hunters was so great, and their survival in such jeopardy, that the five polar bear nations reached a landmark accord.

The International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears was signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973 by: Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, the U.S., and the former U.S.S.R. It is one of the first and most successful international conservation measures enacted in the 20th century.

The agreement consisted of the following points.

Prohibited random, unregulated sport hunting of polar bears
Outlawed hunting from aircraft and icebreakers, a common practice
Required each nation to protect polar bear habitats and migration patterns
Obliged the nations to conduct research on the conservation and management of polar bears to share research findings with each other

Member scientists from each nation continue to work together to address new threats including climate change, pollution, industrial activities, and poaching. They meet every three to four years under the auspices of the IUCN World Conservation Union to coordinate research.

Current Status

As of May 2008 the U.S has listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. In Canada, polar bears are listed as a species of special concern. Russia also considers the polar bear a species of concern.

Scientists have concluded that the threat to polar bears is ecological change in the Arctic from global warming. Polar bears depend on sea ice for hunting, breeding, and in some cases, building their habitat. Ice loss in the Arctic now equals an area the size of Alaska, Texas, and the state of Washington combined.

Polar bears range from Russia to Alaska, from Canada to Greenland, and onto Norway's Svalbard archipelago—the five polar bear nations. Biologists estimate there are 20,000 to 25,000 bears. About 60% of those live in Canada.